USDA opens $65M precision ag funding as VC chill deepens
USDA's Conservation Innovation Grants program deployed $65M on May 27 for on-farm agtech trials, creating the year's largest non-dilutive capital window as venture funding to agtech startups cools.
Farmers for Soil Health raises rates to $35/acre, simplifies contracts
Cover crop program backed by $95M USDA funding opens enrollment with higher per-acre payments and single-year contracts, targeting 30M acres by 2030.
USDA bundles $700M soil health fund, cuts staff by 20%
USDA dedicated $700M to regenerative farming through consolidated federal program, but concurrent 2,400-person NRCS staff cut threatens on-ground deployment capacity.
USDA Palantir $300M Farm Data Platform Deploys at Scale
USDA signed a $300M Blanket Purchase Agreement with Palantir to modernize farm services and food-supply security infrastructure via the Landmark platform, which processed $4.4B in aid within five days of launch.
Microsoft Buys 1 Million Biochar Credits from Liferaft in 10-Year Deal
Microsoft has signed a 10-year offtake agreement with Iowa-based Liferaft for 1 million biochar carbon removal units — the largest such deal in U.S. history — signalling that bankable demand is now the primary lever for scaling durable carbon removal infrastructure.